Don't make me frog it. You won't like me when I frog it.

New Dawn: Lacy crochet top in Deckster Blue

Here’s a project I finished weeks ago (but was waiting to be blocked): the New Dawn jumper from Inside Crochet issue 51. For once I used the yarn the pattern called for, Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK, although I used Deckster Blue instead of the Tangy orange colour in the magazine.

It’s taken a while for me to post pictures because it needed some fairly serious blocking to open up the stitches and add a few inches so it wasn’t skin tight!

Here’s a picture I took on my phone before blocking.

The colour isn’t as bright as this picture suggests. The others are more acurate.

It looks quite different, doesn’t it? If I was slimmer I probably wouldn’t have bothered about the blocking, but I suspect it might have stretched out with washing anyway, so better to get it to the right dimensions in a controlled way than have it just sag later!

Blocking has really brought out the lacy pattern formed by a simple six row repeat.

The garment construction was very simple too, just two identical T shaped pieces sewn together with some edging added after. I might have to have a go at designing my own pattern for a T shaped top. Hmmm….

I ummed and ahhed over the best way to sew the seams on the top of the sleeves, but ultimately I realised that it was going to be very visible whatever I did, so I just went with what would sit fairly flat and feel comfortable. (I think it was mattress stitch). It’s made quite a visible ridge down the sleeve, but I like it!

I haven’t actually worn this top yet. Honestly I just like looking at Dolly, my mannequin, modelling it for me in the corner of the living room. I’m a bit worried that it will get snagged on something!

I’ve been quite lazy with my blog for the last few weeks, but I’ve heaps of stuff to show you, so hopefully my posts won’t be so few and far between!

Somehow I’ve now got just over 100 followers! I’d always planned to do something to celebrate the milestone, but now I’ve reached it I’m not sure what to do. Maybe a giveaway? I’d love to know what you all think, all 102 of you!

I often look at garments like this and want to crochet them but as I am not that slim either I am put off. I do hope you get pleasure from wearing it because it is a lovely pattern. I can see why you want to keep looking at it on Dolly 🙂

This particular pattern is easy to customise because there’s no shaping. I made the sleeves deeper by adding an extra repeat before fastening off (my arms are enormous!), and you could make it wider very easily too. The only potential problem is guessing how much extra yarn you might need! (I got away with just one extra 50g ball).
🙂

That is a beautiful top! I love the color (though it sounds like the tangy orange would have been nice, too. Though I’m quite partial to orange myself). As far as celebrating 100 followers, a giveaway would be cool, or maybe just a summation of your top 5 most popular posts and maybe 5 posts that people may have missed? Who knows, but it’s defintely something that should be celebrated!